Thursday, January 30th, 2014

INDUSTRY VOICES: CEO DAE BOGAN OF CHAZBO MUSIC

Interview by Rebecca Groom

ChazBo Music is an in-store music video entertainment network that places artist content in retail stores, businesses, and youth destinations. They currently publish over 100,000 hours of streaming video content every month. From music videos to lifestyle content, their themed programs are displayed on computer monitors or TVs in participating locations. Some outlets ChazBo music is currently curating content for is Shiekh Stores, youth-targetted clothing stores, mall common areas, college campuses, skate board and bike shops, teen recreation centers, and many others.

We spoke with founder and CEO of ChazBo, Dae Bogan, to find out how artists can get their music into rotation, his motivation behind starting this niche service, and tips on creating an engaging music video.

To start, please state your name and position with ChazBo Music, and give us a little background about the company.

Dae Bogan – Founder/CEO. I founded ChazBo Music in 2012 after being laid off from my previous position as VP of Marketing & Music at a leading youth-targeted urban footwear/apparel retail chain in the US, Shiekh Shoes. I initially came up with the idea to solve a problem: Shiekh Shoes needed music videos on TVs in over 100 locations and I was the guy with all the contacts. In the first year, we primarily focused on independent artists. As a formerDJ/artist manager and owner of a boutique record label, I knew lots of artists and lots of artist managers. I figured this would be a great way to help independent artists earn exposure while continuing to program music in the stores. Since our launch, we’ve grown to support not only music videos but also lyric videos and image videos. We’ve also recently partnered with Myspace and Skee.TV to create cool music-centric shows on our network that features up-and-coming, emerging, and established artists.

Was your experience in the music and retail marketing business your main motivation behind the creation of your company?

Yes, absolutely. I developed, executed, and oversaw all aspects of the music program including music retail, concerts and tours, independent artist support, major artist sponsorships, our digital music retail website, and a number of collaborations with brands such as Reebok and adidas. Because I worked in the entertainment industry prior to my role at Shiekh Shoes, I had a lot of contacts at record labels who I brought into the mix. We supported major projects and promoted new music alongside independent artists.

What benefits do artists get when they sign up for your service?

Independent artists earn exposure to a desirable music consumer. We feature independent and up-and-coming artists in the same programming as major/established artists. That side-by-side delivery demonstrates that the lesser known artist is just as talented as their established counterparts. Independent artist have been thrilled with reaching tens of thousands of new listeners and many have seen their social media increase as a result of the exposure.

Your company does not have as many fees as other services similar to yours might include. How are artists able to avoid fees such as closed-captioning fees and file formatting/conversion fees with your company?

Until cable and broadcast TV channels, our channels are not regulated by the FCC. Therefore, we do not require the same programming and broadcast standards that an artist would have if their music video was played on MTV or Revolt, for example. We do not require artists to send us any one specific file format either, so that saves them on conversion costs.

How are you able to guarantee three spins per day for each music video?

Because we limit the number of music content that we distribute on a monthly basis, we can ensure that each music content earn 3-6 spins per day.

What is the process for music videos to be accepted by ChazBo Music?

An artist or manager signs up on our website, www.chazbomusic.com (use referral code “Bands On A Budget”) and within their ChazBo Bridge account (our campaign management portal), they can select a channel and submit their campaign. We only accept CLEAN content for now. There is a $15 submission fee and a distribution fee starting at $5 per location.

What is the difference between a lifestyle channel rather than a music video only channel?

A lifestyle channel includes our music-centric shows, such as Myspace’s “Myspace Presents” and Skee.TV’s “Skee Locker”. Our music video only channel is essentially a video radio station; think Pandora for music videos!

While we talked a lot about the benefits for artists by signing up with your company, what are some benefits that businesses get by choosing to use ChazBo Music?

Businesses can subscribe to our channels to access premium and emerging music content to play in their stores or restaurants. It’s a great way to enhance the visual retail environment and the customer’s shopping experience.

Currently, you only have one channel available. When do you expect to have other channels available for artists?

We currently have one live channel, which is ShiekhTV and it primarily houses Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop. However, we have three new channels in development to promote Rock, Pop, Country, EDM, and Singer/Songwriter.

Finally, tips or advice for artists wanting to create engaging music videos?

Music video production is an art. Creating a music video that visually tells a story does not require a huge budget. There are so many directions an artist can take to make a compelling music video for a great song that I can’t say one way is better than another. What I can suggest is not to over-think it. Make sure to have a clean version (it surprises me how many times an indie artist has told me they do not have a clean version of their video). And have fun with it.